1996 Volkswagen Passat Latches & Locks Problems

TL*THE CONTACT OWNS A 1996 VOLKSWAGEN PASSAT. THE CONTACT STATED THAT THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLES FAILED TO OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE CONTACT ALSO STATED THAT THE FRONT DRIVER SIDE AND THE FRONT PASSENGER SIDE DOOR HANDLES FAILED TO OPEN FROM THE OUTSIDE. THE CONTACT HAD TO USE THE KEY FROM THE OUTSIDE OF THE DOOR TO WIND THE WINDOW DOWN TO OPEN THE DOORS. THE VIN WAS NOT AVAILABLE. THE VEHICLE WAS NOT DIAGNOSED OR REPAIRED. THE MANUFACTURER WAS NOTIFIED OF THE FAILURE. THE APPROXIMATE FAILURE MILEAGE WAS 120,000.

REAR DOOR LATCH FAILED AND DOOR FLEW OPEN AND 10 YEAR OLD CHILD FELL OUT OF THE CAR. THE DOOR APPEARS TO CLOSE NORMALLY BUT IT IS NOT LATCHED. AFTER CLOSING THE DOOR MULTIPLE TIMES , IT DOES CATCH BUT IT IS NOT OBVIOUS WHEN THE DOOR IS CLOSED. LUCKILY, THERE MINOR INJURIES DUE TO THE LOW SPEED OF THE CAR.*AK

CONSUMER COMPLAINED ABOUT A DOOR LOCK PROBLEM. CURRENTLY, THREE OF THE FOUR DOOR LOCKS BROKE. DOORS WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE OR THE OUTSIDE. CONSUMER TOOK VEHICLE TO THE DEALER, WHO INDICATED THAT THEY WILL DO NOTHING. CONSUMER PURCHASED AN EXTENDED WARRANTY. HOWEVER, IT DID NOT COVER THE PROBLEM. *AK

THE DOORS CANNOT BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE. IT STARTED WITH THE LEFT REAR DOOR WHICH I TRIED TO REPAIR MYSELF. THEN IT WAS THE DRIVER DOOR. IT WAS REPAIRED BY THE DEALER AT A HIGH COST. NOW IT IS THE PASSENGER DOOR. THIS IS DANGEROUS AND SHOULD BE THE OBJECT OF A RECALL.*AK

PASSENGERS COULD NOT GET IN OR OUT OF VEHICLE BECAUSE DOOR WAS BOLTED SHUT. CAUSE UNKNOWN. DEALER NOTIFIED.*AK

FRONT DRIVER AND PASSENGER DOOR LOCKS FREEZE IN COLD WEATHER. DOOR OPENS BUT UNABLE TO CLOSE. DOOR MUST BE HELD CLOSED WITH CORD OR HELD CLOSED BY DRIVER, CAUSING UNSAFE DRIVING CONDITION.*AK

THE DOORS DO NOT LATCH PROPERLY. YOU MUST SLAM THEM AT TIMES TO MAKE THEM CLOSE, THEN THEY WILL WORK OK AT OTHER TIMES. THE TRUNK LOCK DOES NOT WORK WITH OR WITHOUT THE KEY. IT MUST BE OPENED FROM INSIDE WITH THE RELEASE BUTTON. *AK

WHEN AT FREEZING TEMP, PASSENGER'S DOOR LATCH PARTIALLY FROZE OPEN CAUSING DOOR TO OPEN WHILE DRIVING. DRIVER DOOR LATCH FROZE PREVENTING DOOR TO BE CLOSED. *AK

DOOR LATCH ASSEMBLY OR LOCKS ARE NOT SECURING PROPERTY. DOOR OCCASIONALLY WOULD FLY OPEN. CONSUMER HAS TO USE A BUNGY CORD & SEAT BELT TO KEEP SHUT. MANUFACTURER DENIED THE CLAIM. VEHICLE CAN'T BE SECURED TO KEEP OTHERS FROM GETTING IN. CONSUMER IS WAITING FOR THE PART TO ARRIVE AT THE DEALER. *AK

NOT ABLE OT OPEN DOOR. HANDLE MECHANISM BROKEN. FIRST HANDLE MECHANISM BROKEN IN DEC 1999. BECAUSE CHILD LOCK WAS ON, MAJOR SERVICE WAS NEED TO GET INTO DOOR. JUNE 2000 THE DRIVER SIDE DOOR HANDLE MECHISM BROKE, BUT CAN GET INTO THROUGH THE PASSENGER DOOR . THE LEFT REAR DOOR HANDLE APPEARS LOOSE AND READY TO BREAK. *AK

DESIGN FLAW? ALL FOUR DOOR HANDLES HAVE FAILED (CAR LESS THAN 4 YEARS OLD) AND CAR CANNOT BE LOCKED WHEN THEY FAIL.

THE INSIDE TRUNK RELEASE HAS FAILED TWICE. BOTH REAR DOOR LATCHES HAVE FAILED. REAR DRIVERS SIDE DOOR WILL NOT OPEN AT ALL. THE REAR PASSENGER SIDE DOOR CAN ONLY BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE. PASSENGERS IN THE REAR CAN NOT OPEN THE REAR CAR DOORS. *AK

WHENEVER THE WEATHER IS COLD, THE DOORS FAIL TO CLOSE PROPERLY. THE LOCKS FAIL TO WORK ALSO. THE DOORS WOULD POP OPEN AFTER BEING CLOSED. HAVE TAKEN VEHICLE TO DEALERSHIP & INFORMED BY MECHANIC EVERYTHINGS WORKS FINE. WAS INFORMED LUBRICATION WAS PROBLEM FIRST 2 TIMES. THE THIRD TIME TOLD LOCKS WERE THE PROBLEM. HAVE CONTACTED MANUFACTURER. *AK

DRIVER'S SIDE AND REAR PASSENGER'S SIDE DOORS DO NOT OPEN AT ALL FROM THE OUTSIDE, AND SOMETIMES THEY WILL NOT OPEN FROM THE INSIDE. DEALER HAS SEEN AND GREASED THE DOORS. HOWEVER, PROBLEM STILL EXISTS. *AK

NONE OF THE DOORS BEING ABLE TO BE OPENED FROM THE OUTSIDE IS A SAFETY HAZARD TO ME, IN ORDER TO GET INTO MY CAR I HAVE TO ROLL DOWN ALL THE WINDOWS FROM THE DRIVERS SIDE AND OPEN THE DOOR OR DOORS FROM THE OUTSIDE, ANYONE COULD JUMP INTO MY CAR FROM THE PASSANGER SIDE AT THIS TIME. TO FIX THIS PROBLEM WE WERE QUOTED AN EXTREMELY HIGH AMOUNT BY THE DEALER WHICH I THINK ISNT RIGHT BECAUSE THIS IS FAULTY CRAFTMANSHIP NOT FAULTY OWNERSHIP. *AK

LOCKING MECHANISMS ON VEHICLE IS BAD. ALL FOUR DOORS GET STUCK. CONSUMER HAS HAD TO GET A MECHANIC TO GET THE DOORS OPEN. DEALER HAS BEEN CONTACTED. *AK

THE DOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE DOES NOT ALWAYS CLOSE. THERE IS ALSO A PROBLEM WITH THE REAR PASSENGER'S DOOR ON THE DRIVER'S SIDE. THE DOOR LATCH ON THE REAR DRIVER'S SIDE DOOR WAS REPLACED IN DEC OF 1996. THE MANUFACTURE/DEALER ARE AWARE OF THE PROBLEM WITH BOTH DOORS. THE PROBLEM HAS NOT BEEN CORRECTED. SEEMS TO BE MORE OF A PROBLEM IN THE COLDER MONTHS. *AK

RIGHT REAR AND RIGHT FRONT DOOR LOCK AND LATCH HAS FAILED. THE DRIVER AND FAMILY WENT OUT OF TOWN WHEN THE RIGHT REAR DOOR CAME OPEN WHILE THE DRIVER WAS ON A BRIDGE, ON A MIXMASTER ABOUT 75 FT. IN THE AIR. THE DRIVER PULLS THE CAR OVER TO CLOSE THE DOOR AND THE DOOR CAME OPEN AGAIN WHILE DRIVING ON HIGHWAY.